OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.48°N, 100.51°WAmerica/Chicago

Daylight+36.6°

13:50:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 16m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:48

Civil Dusk19:17

Nautical19:49

Full Dark20:21

Nadir01:26

Dark Ends06:31

Nautical07:03

Civil Dawn07:36

Sunrise08:04

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-35.9°

DISTANCE379,786 km

Moonrise17:23

Moonset05:10

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to America/Chicago

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	30.1°	189°	Libra	08:24	13:19	18:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	25.5°	267°	Leo	02:22	09:17	16:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-41.5°	33°	Pisces	18:04	00:11	06:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	21.4°	275°	Cancer	01:32	08:42	15:51	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	26.4°	166°	Libra	10:00	14:43	19:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-21.6°	331°	Taurus	20:21	03:47	11:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-39.6°	43°	Pisces	17:41	23:42	05:46	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:23

BEST TIME23:45S · 53° high

SETS05:10

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:22

BEST TIME09:17S · 63° high

SETS16:11

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:04

BEST TIME00:11S · 50° high

SETS06:22

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:24

BEST TIME13:19S · 31° high

SETS18:14

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:32

BEST TIME08:42S · 66° high

SETS15:51

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.